West Bengal CM should step down: CPI (ML)

Chennai, Mar 18: The Communist Party of India (Marxist Lenninist) Liberation today demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee owning moral responsiblity for the Nandigram, massacre on March 14.

Terming Mr Bhattacharjee's statement yesterday at the Left Front meeting where he retreated from the earlier defence of the carnage in the state Asembly as a ''belated regret'', party Central Committe member Prabhat Kumar demanded Mr Bhattacharjee's resignation and sought an unconditional apology from him to the people of Nandigram and the entire state, a release said here tonight.

Countering the Chief Minister's statement that the police excesses were ''not anticipated'', Mr Kumar said, ''what happened in Nandigram was a pre-meditated carnage and a cold-blooded genocide aimed at coercing the people to submission.'' He said the party would not compromise on anything less than ''punishing and unmasking'' those involved in the carnage and added that it would proceed with the proposed March 23 'Inquilab Rally' in Delhi marking the beginning of a two-month country-wide campaign.

UNI